Which (small) dog breed would you recommend?

[toastofthetown]

It will be our first dog. We want a friendly little dog: the kind of dog which we could easily take to local pubs or cafes without it being fazed by other dogs or people. Ideally no bigger than 10-15kg. We both work from home full time, and can do around an hours walking a day with the dog, with other activities through the day. Longer walks at weekends. I'd rather a dog which is biddable and eager to please, than a more independently minded dog. I'm happy to groom the dog regularly or take it to the groomers as required. I have tolerance for barking, but as little slobber as possible.

What are you talking about? you get all of each breeds health problems you also get the good of all breeds but also the bad of each breed. So you never know what you are getting 🤦🏻‍♀️

God these breeders have done a great job brainwashing people into paying ridiculous amounts for mongrels! potential Owners thinking they are getting a healthier dog with all breeds mixed in 😂

All breeds have health problems.

This thread is making me laugh.. . Just because people have a good experience with one breed doesn't make it a fact for all of that breed🤦🏻‍♀️

Yes.

but when I was looking for a dog I factored in those health issues.

anything life threatening or life altering was ruled out. So brachycephalics and breathing issues, spaniels and heart/brain issues, dachshunds and back issues.

in comparison a breed where the main congenital issue was patella subluxation I felt I could deal with.

nothing is risk free but I felt I could at least reduce the chance of having a very sick dog by excluding certain breeds.

You really don't get all of the health problems. It's basic genetics.

Numerous health problems in pedigree dogs are due to simple recessive genes. Some of these genes are prevalent in certain breeds - PRA in spaniels (and some others) is an example. One copy, the dog has no problems, two copies and it will go blind. Breed a dog from a PRA-prone breed to one of a breed where PRA is basically non-existent and while you might get an unaffected carrier, you won't get a dog who loses its sight.

Other issues are due to extreme confirmation, like heavy nose rolls in brachy breeds which get infected. Breed a brachy dog to one with a normal nose, and the puppies will be very unlikely to have the heavy nose roll, so nowhere for the skin infection to take root.

I'm not anti-pedigree (I own two) but I am aware of the shortcomings of closed gene pools and breeding for extremes.

I agree that training and socialising are key to nurturing the dog behaviours you value but I have a rescue dog, a Bichon Frise/Shih Tsu cross and it has been a revelation how easy a dog can be (after a succession of others breeds, also rescue) She is very calm and relaxed in all situations, meeting other dogs, going out & about & at home. She has a couple of walks a day, for about 45 minutes each, mostly off lead but sometimes on lead. She only barks at the doorbell. She is loving to people she loves and slightly aloof to strangers.

This is her...

Have you really never heard of the problems of inbreeding? As in humans, so in dogs - the more inbreeding, i.e. the more pedigree, the greater the health problems. There's no disputing it, it's been established for centuries.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10362839/#:~:text=The%20results%20show%20that%20survivability,have%20the%20highest%20morbidity%20level.

Whilst some do, nothing is as bad a Cavs apart from possibly Frenchies/English bulldogs, Norway has banned the breeding of Cavaliers as it goes against their welfare standards, also watching your relatively young dog struggle to breathe when you have to rush it to the vets to have the fluid drained and them spend a day in an oxygen tent, only to be told a week later* that the sack around their heart is so enlarged and weak it could 'pop' at any minute leading to a horrific death for said beloved dog is not something I would wish for any other dog or owner to have to go through, and when the stats are that 90% of Cavaliers will have MVDD buy age 10, I would say that that is a huge problem for the breed health wise.

*The specialist couldn't believe how well my boy looked and was acting as from the scan results he looked at he expected a very flat sick dog.

Border terrier. Got one last year. First time dog-owner. Gorgeous friendly temperament, good with everyone in the family, visitors, other dogs and our cat. Small in stature but big personality. Barks when someone comes to the door but otherwise is pretty chilled.

A friend has a Japanese Spitz and they seem like lovely first time dogs - bred with apartment living in mind so they are a nice compact size without being tiny, and apparently don’t smell or drool much.

We have a miniature Australian Labradoodle; it's wonderful and ticks all your boxes.

Someone suggested join all the facebook groups for the breeds that tempt you then leave them as you decide it isn't the dog for you, ALD was our last group!

We have a coton he is lovely. Full of life, very energetic but spends evening asleep on his back on the sofa. But he has had IVDD. We didn't think the breed was prone but maybe unlucky. After surgery he is fine but I do worry that it will happen again that would be so sad as he is truly special.

Parson Russel. Small dog, huge personality.

Parson Russel. Small dog, huge personality

I had one and wouldn't recommend.

Some lines have issues with aggression. The majority is dog on dog but why risk it?
I only found out once I had the dog with these issues. The same people who gave me a list of breeders with litters then told me oh yes, X Y and Z lines are known to be unpredictable and aggressive.

The only positive thing I have to say is, he was a good little worker and very intelligent! (We managed to move up the ranks in obedience and agility quite quickly, he understood what was required and did it flawlessly)

Took him for a leisurely walk and he would run off to see if that dot on the horizon was another dog... or you kept him on the lead where he'd bark and lunge at anything moving.

I could swear this dog had a split personality.

So here I say it again: Don't get one.

I have one lying under the duvet with me . She has the most adorable temperament and just wants to be literally by my side. Apart from the postman she never yapps and has been so gentle with granddaughter. They shared a bed last night.

If you’re willing to go up to 15kg, corgi. I wouldn’t class them as small though!! We take ours everywhere (and he’s probably allowed in more places than he technically should be because people go oooooo a corgi!!). No slobber but the shedding is like nothing I’ve ever had before (and I’m a previous staffie/collie/Jack Russell owner!)

Havanese. All day every day, fantastic little dog- so, so loving and happy ❤️

We have a Miniature Australian Labradoodle, does everything you ask for. Utterly gorgeous.

Please consider a rescue.

I’ve had a miniature Labradoodle and I loved her to pieces however, she did shed and she was a handful.

This time round I got a poodle and she’s perfect. I dreaded the puppy months but she’s been incredibly easy.

I would go for a whippet. They’re amazing, funny, loveable dogs. I would avoid pugs or frenchies as they have been bred to snuffle and in reality can’t breathe. So cruel. A nice, small pointy hound is just the ticket!

I have a gorgeous little toy poodle. She's so well behaved, sleeps all night till whenever we get up and has done since her first night here. She has been easy to train and she's just the sweetest girl. There are zero hairs anywhere, ever which is perfect. I comb her every day without fail and she's a gorgeous colour. She's never chewed anything apart from her chew toys and she's house trained. My little one is 2.5kg.

Agree, Feel sorry for any I see. Humans have a lot to answer for.

Whippets are great (I'd always go for rescue). Have to note as a point of being objective that long lean sight hounds can often have back problems as they age.

My dog would have fitted your description. Except the only way she met the spec was following hours of training and socialisation. You'd be lucky to find a ready to go pup.

King Charles Cavalier. I have one and she is so easy to please and friendly to all dogs and people! A cavapoo or cockerpoo are alternatives. ❤